Discovered on on-line retailer WireFly's web page for the Pantech Breakout is a press rendering for the Samsung Stratosphere. The handset is Verizon's version of a reworked Samsung Epic 4G with its side-sliding QWERTY keyboard and is expected to rock Big Red's LTE pipeline. As we reported, a leaked Radio Shack document points to an October 6th launch for the phone.

The Samsung Stratosphere

As far back as July, we showed you what we called at the time, a mysterious Samsung slider with Android 2.3.4 and LTE. The most up-to-date info we have on the phone is that it will come with a 4 inch screen, back and front-facing cameras coming in at 5MP and 1.3MP respectively, and Android 2.3.4 aboard.

We are closing in on the expected October 6th launch which means that pricing and availability information should soon be on the way along with the rest of the specs. For Verizon customers who want LTE speed and a physical QWERTY keyboard, the Samsung Stratosphere will be their first crack at such a combination. Hopefully for Big Red customers, this phone will be like its name-out of this world.

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A slightly improved version of the Epic on LTE's Verizon network. Wow I would have stayed with Verizon if they had a SGS2 3G device. And yes I know the Nexus/Galaxy Prime is coming out. But with LTE's issues it might be delayed multiple times or have tons of bugs. So I am happy about my Epic 4G Touch.

you really left Verizon? you're so dumb. you had grandfathered unlimited data on the best U.S. network and you threw it away for a Galaxy S II? you shouldn't have gotten swept away in emotion like that. you're gonna regret it.

Not really, Sprint in my area has just as good of service as Verizon does. Like I said, I was stuck with the original Droid and they weren't going to let me do a early upgrade, though IMO there isnt anything to worthy of upgrading to on Verizon yet anyway. Yes yes when the Nexus Prime, Galaxy Prime, whatever you want to call it comes out I will be keeping my eye on it. Verizon already told me that I can come back to them with my same plan, WITH MY unlimited data plan in 90 days. Which gee just happens to be around the time the Nexus/Galaxy Prime comes out.

I am loving my Epic Touch, it beats the hell out of the Bionic, Droid 3, EVO 3D, Photon, iPhone, and everything else.

uhh nooo, anywhere you look at it Verizon is going to have better data speeds. Sprint's just plain sucks. i did an early upgrade for my Bionic. they have a promotion for that now. okay, we'll see but if you do you'll be lucky.

not really, it's a nice phone but all of those phones except for the EVO 3D and the Photon have justifiable trade offs.

Some people on this site are so impatient, they seem to change/add phones like a new pair of shoes. Some of us only have one line, still rocking an old '09 dumbphone, and we're STILL waiting for a kicka$$ phone like the Vigor or Prime. If it keeps me happy with my purchase for the whole 20 months, I'm willing to wait an extra month now.

21.Info611 (unregistered)

Not to forget, WiMax is on the crapper list. It has been almost a year sense they expanded it and the speeds are horrible. You could have had Unlimited LTE AND Mobile Hotspot on your next phone. They still offer the unlimited hotspot on 4G phones with unlimited data plan.

Sadly you are correct. As much as I hate to say that, I was really hoping more for this device. Even the Droid 3 which came out in July has a dual core processor. I might have even settled with this device if it was running the same processor and 1GB of RAM like the SGS2.

And unregistered user, I like how every single LTE phone has been delayed multiple times and has had tons of issues. Thunderbolt, Droid Charge, Revolution, and the delaying king of them all, the Bionic. Yes this has me concerned there will be issues with LTE and the fact that Ice Cream is new and if they rush it to compete with IOS5, it could have bugs.

Also you should learn how to read sir, as I clearly stated that the Nexus Prime "MIGHT" have issues. I never said that it WILL, I said it MIGHT.

12.my turn (unregistered)

This is great to see Samsung once again not deliver on their top phones. This new phone gets Gingerbread? Man i told myself last time i would not buy another Samsung device because the updates take for ever. I am dumb and did it anyway, and now look i have the charge and I am still going to way until next year to get gingerbread, while everyone else will be on ICE CREAM. I should not have to root my phone to enjoy the updates. my next phone is not going to be a Samsung device. I hope L

I think it's less about Verizon being behind and more about being able to cram an LTE modem/antenna into a slider phone. I'll consider the Strat even though it's "only" Galaxy S internals (same as the Charge). Sprint still sells the Epic because it's a good phone! No reason not to offer something similar on Verizon. Give me LTE, a great keyboard and a good strong battery and I care little about how many CPU cores it has.

15.John (unregistered)

So late on phones?? What are you talking about.. Vzw was only suppose to release a couple of LTE devices.. And so far vzw still has THE HOTTEST PHONEST in the market.. As far as LTE issues they improved a lot.. Only happen when they turn on new cities.. Its sad that sprint has been rolling out 4g for 2+ years and verizon has been rolling it out for 9 months and they already cover half the u.s. and sprint cant even compare.. HOW SAD..

22.MofoMan2000 (unregistered)

I don't understand why everyone compares this phone to the Droid Charge, Bionic, Thunderbolt, or any upcoming Nexus Prime or GalaxyS2. This phone is completely different from those, because this phone has a keyboard, and that's all that some people care about, me included. Sure I'd love to have a dual core 1.5GHz processor in my phone, but the keyboard is a huge usability plus for me. If the phone has a software touchscreen keyboard, forget about it. I'd hate to try to type this whole post on a phone with no keyboard. I'm still rockin' my Motorola Devour until the Stratosphere comes out, using it to type this whole post.

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